Tango vs. Swing: Atmosphere

[Paisley]

I've been a swing dancer for four years, but this week I went to an Argentine tango dance. The difference in atmosphere between the tango dance and one of the places where I swing dance was astonishing. Mostly, I appreciated what wasn't at the tango dance:

Underwear hanging out
Specators milling around on the dance floor
Shorts on men
People doing aerials three feet from other dancers
Muffin tops and pajama bottoms on girls
Ragged jeans
Music so loud that conversations had to be shouted
A clientele of one rather narrow age group

I also didn't notice many stuck-up attitudes there; people seemed like regular folk without being vulgar. Although there were quite a few more women than men, I didn't end up sitting around all evening. It was a respectful atmosphere.

There is another swing club that I go to that is better than the first one, fortunately. It's friendlier and more relaxed. I just wish I could take the tango atmosphere and bring it to the one swing club. Or that I could take the joy I get from swing dancing and feel it from Argentine tango.

 

[PADDY]

Stick with it...

As you get into the Argentinian Tango, I just think it is a wonderful dance, so full of personal expression, and the music is great!!
I think the first few lessons can be daunting and folk think, "I'll never get this!" and just run!!!! I nearly did!! But glad now I stuck with it.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

It is also one of the few scenes (apart from swing) where spectator shoes are worn regularly.

Carlos Gardel, the style icon of Argentine Tango and Milonga, was an excellent dresser. In his '30s films, he was often seen wearing a fedora, a pinstriped suit, and a white silk muffler worn over his suit jacket. Even today, this look is imitated by (male) professional tango dancers.

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[jake_fink]

There was a tango revival bubble when I lived in London in the early 90s. There was a stage show, a movie or two and a number of clubs had tango evenings. I find that dancing a a passable tango is much more diffcult than dancing a passable swing - which is all I'm capable of at best.

The music itself is haunting and timeless. Astor Piazzolla is a true master of the form.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Very true. Tango began as an African war dance, and the music came after the dance. Eventually, the two evolved together. Then, tango music -- much like swing -- began to break away from the dance and expand its horizons, focusing on the vocals and/or instrumentals. Piazzola's music was not written to be danced to (conventionally). Nor was Gardel's: his songs are more about the voice of the singer. That said, there were (and are) Tango orchestras and smaller groups that play for dancers.


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[PADDY]

Argentinian/Irish Tango...! Hay Caramba!!

Well I'm the Irish bit, but I am doing the Argentinian Tango and just loving it (have I told you all that before? sure I have!).

Lilliana and Carlos are from Buenos Airies, he's a former doctor and now has the time in his retirement to teach his passion (he's been dancing the tango for 50 years!).
Lilliana is just a honey!! I'd to to the Tango just for her alone!! but the added bonus is that I am getting some very expert tuition and they teach a range of styles (there are soooooo many!!) from the turn of the 20th C. through the decades to the present day, and all are quite different (as is the music of each genre).

Pics of Lilliana and Carlos below (the photos don't do Lilli true justice). I'm off to see them tonight for another practica, but they are having another Argentinian 30's evening next Sunday where everyone dresses up. So I'm going to try and get to that.

But, if I can do it (and I'm really not very good, but I'm enjoying myself which is half the battle!) then I'd really advise any ladies and gents out there to try a local beginner's class, and suck 'n' see!! You'd be surprised how addictive it can be!

 

[PADDY]

Just bought a pair of vintagey Tango shoes from Buenos Airies..!

Folk at the dancing have been at me for ages saying that a proper pair of dance shoes for Tango will make a big difference to me (instead of the old beat-up 20-year-old brogues I currently wear!).

Anyway, I've ordered them and hopefully they will arrive for the Argentine 30's night (as in 1930's...not 18 to 30's!!).

Pic below (but I think they have a 30's look to them). They have a leather sole with a sueded sole on top to make them dance shoes, and are a lot lighter than my ten tonne brogues!!).

 

[herringbonekid]

does the slightly-larger-than-normal heel help with dancing too ?

 

[PADDY]

The heel does help (apparently)

Often, suppliers will give you a choice of different heel heights. Although with the Tango, much of your weight is actually on the sole of the foot, and turns are on the sole (not the heel, which takes a little while to get used to).

Also, if you notice the welt lip around the shoe is basically zero (unlike a conventional shoe), so that you can be more precise in positioning your foot in relation to your partner (can get it closer and have a better feel for your positioning), as Argentine Tango is very precise (it's not forgiving by letting you be an inch out here or there, as if it doesn't matter, as it does).

After my salsa phase, this is very different, a bit like learning to do drill with the Boy Scouts in an old Scout hall, and then suddenly doing drill with the Brigade of Guards at Horse Guards' Parade, London!!

But I like the challenge!!!

 

[Fletch]

A gal I worked with years ago was a tangoist. She was a copy chief by trade, which has a certain "non-look" that goes with it, but one evening she showed up kitted out for a dance, and what a change – red all over, lips to shoes, and showing a very highly developed pair of pins (she was a tangoist and marathoner, did I mention?).

I thought to myself, "It's too bad these folks don't foxtrot!"